Wondrous items are a staple of fantasy, from King Arthur's Excalibur to the Necronomicon, magic items are some of the best ways to reward your players after a hard-won battle.
Wondrous items are an optional rule, the whole system is balanced to accommodate them, but if you want to improve your bad guys and give your power-hungry murder hobos a reason to delve into a dungeon and slay a dragon, shiny, enchanted loot is the way to go.
In 5th edition Dungeons & Dragons, magic items are categorized by rarity, from day-to-day common items to reality-warping legendary artifacts, with each item being more powerful the rarer it is.
However, given a large number of items to pore through, it can be daunting to decide which item fits your character best! Worry not, for we’ll be reviewing the best “Very Rare” wondrous items to arm your characters with!
15. Belt of Giant Strength
Aren’t you tired of being limited to a score of 20 Strength? Don’t you want to be buffer than a bear? You can make your dreams come true with a Belt of Giant Strength!
Simply put, this item changes your strength score to a score granted by the belt, the rare it is, the higher it gets.
At this tier, you could get a Stone/Frost Giant belt for a score of 23, or you can embark on a perilous quest to grab a Fire Giant belt for a whopping score of 25!
What Is Great About the Belt of Giant Strength:
- Thanks to 5th edition’s bound accuracy, every number counts. An extra +1 to hit and damage can spell the difference between victory and defeat.
- Normally, you can’t increase a score beyond 20, this is one of the only ways available to push your Strength to the utmost limit and become a pinnacle of power.
Belt of Giant Strength full details: http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/wondrous-items:belt-of-giant-strength
14. Boots of Speed
With benefits comparable to a feat, these boots let you use a bonus action to double your walking speed and grant disadvantage on opportunity attacks against you!
This is perfect for getting out of hairy situations, nabbing the Macguffin in the nick of time, and beating your allies in a race.
What Is Great About Boots of Speed:
- Most characters are stuck with 30 feet walking speed, this means that, by doubling it, you can outrun most foes.
- Attacks of opportunity can be lethal, and sometimes you just can’t waste your action of disengaging.
Boots of Speed full details: http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/wondrous-items:boots-of-speed
13. Carpet of Flying
Do you know what’s better than a flying speed? A flying speed for the party!
Four different sizes of flying carpets exist, some capable of accommodating several party members, and with flying speeds of 30 feet and upwards.
What Is Great About the Carpet of Flying:
- Your whole party can overcome several environmental hazards by flying over them.
- You get a portable high ground to make those melees only enemies resent you.
Carpet of Flying full details: http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/wondrous-items:carpet-of-flying
12. Dwarven Thrower
If Mjolnir is your favorite weapon, then this is the right hammer for you.
With an amazing +3 to Attack and damage rolls, this hammer has the thrown property and, immediately after the attack, it flies back to your hand while dealing extra damage!
What Is Great About the Dwarven Thrower:
- Thrown weapons can use your Strength for attack and damage. With this bad boy, you can give your Barbarian or Strength based fighter an amazing ranged option.
Dwarven Thrower full details: https://roll20.net/compendium/dnd5e/Dwarven%20Thrower#content
11. Horn of Valhalla
A powerful, double-edged item that can make for some pretty epic moments.
Four kinds exist, each with requirements to use, but if you meet them, you can summon a host of phantasmal berserkers from Ysgard to fight by your side!
What Is Great About the Horn of Valhalla:
- Armed with reckless attack, 67 Hit Points, and a +5 to Hit, Berserkers are a threat to any creature when summoned in numbers.
- A portable army of roided-out spirits can open a world of possibilities.
Horn of Valhalla full details: http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/wondrous-items:horn-of-valhalla
10. Manual of Bodily Health
Remember earlier how we talked about pushing your ability scores beyond the boundaries of 20?
The manual of bodily health increases your Constitution score as well as your maximum after reading it for 48 hours.
What Is Great the Manual of Bodily Health:
- It increases your Constitution by 2 as well as your maximum for it, granting you more Hit Points and the equivalent of an ability score increase.
- After 100 years it can be used again, if your character is a long-lived race or can’t age, it can, in theory, continue to increase its Constitution every century.
Manual of Bodily Health full details: http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/wondrous-items:manual-of-bodily-health
9. Ring of Regeneration
Did somebody say portable 7th level spell? Seriously, this ring is amazing.
Every 10 minutes you recover 1d6 Hit Points and you can regrow missing body parts!
The weakest ability that does something similar is a 7th-level spell, and this effect is always active.
What Is Great About the Ring of Regeneration:
- You can save up on healing spells by letting the ring do its magic.
- You can take bigger risks knowing your limbs can be safely regrown.
Ring of Regeneration full details: http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/wondrous-items:ring-of-regeneration
8. Rod of Absorption
Spells and dangerous and potentially game-breaking if used properly. A rod of absorption protects you by absorbing up to 50 levels worth of spells.
You can use your reaction to absorb a spell that targets only you, completely negating it!
What Is Great About the Rod of Absorption:
- You can come out unscathed from a large myriad of spells.
- If you are a spellcaster, you can convert the stored spell energy into spell slots.
Rod of Absorption full details: http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/wondrous-items:rod-of-absorption
7. Spellguard Shield
Blanketed by protective guards, the Spellguard Shield gives your cleric advantage on Saving Throws against magical effects, including spells, thus increasing your chances to survive one of Dungeons & Dragons’ most dangerous threats.
What Is Great About the Spellguard Shield:
- Getting hit hurts, but spending turns paralyzed, charmed, and similar is grating. This shield gives you an edge, a permanent advantage against magical effects that potentially mitigates the most punishing status effects in 5th edition.
- The myriad perils of the world are impossible to account for, however, with this shield you no longer need to worry about individual effects, but rather be protected against all of those of magical nature in exchange for a single attunement slot. Sign me up!
Spellguard Shield full details: https://roll20.net/compendium/dnd5e/Spellguard%20Shield#content
6. Staff of power
Befitting an archmage, this magical Quarterstaff gives its user a +2 bonus to spell attack rolls, Saving throws, and AC!
Additionally, its wielder can expend some of its many charges to cast several powerful spells
Spellcasting is the biggest part of any spellcasting class, so it’s no surprise that an item that is not only an excellent weapon but also bolsters your spell selection is worth slaying ten dragons for.
What Is Great About the Staff of Power:
- Anyone would benefit from the +2 bonus to Armor Class and Saves, turning an already durable character into the hardiest scientist in the realm!
- Not only is it a magician’s best friend, but the Staff of Power is also a powerful +2 Quarterstaff that packs a mean punch, perfect for any spellcaster who usually find themselves in the front lines.
- One can’t ever have too many spells per day. The 20 charges can be expended to bring forth powerful spells without ever touching our spell slots.
Staff of Power full details: https://roll20.net/compendium/dnd5e/Staff%20of%20Power#content
5. Dragon Scale Mail
Fashioned out of the scales of a true dragon, this masterpiece which serves as a +1 Scale Mail is highly valued for the protection it offers.
Since druids are prohibited from wearing metal armor, donning a set of Dragon Scale Mail will significantly bolster your Armor Class (AC).
What Is Great About Dragon Scale Mail:
- Scale Mail has a base Armor Class of 14 + Your Dexterity Modifier (Maximum 2). That means that thanks to its +1 bonus, you’ll have an AC of 15 or higher!
- As if it weren’t enough, this armor makes you more durable against dragons, from advantage on Saving Throws to survive their breaths to resistance to one damage based on the Dragon that provided the scales.
Dragon Scale Mail full details: https://roll20.net/compendium/dnd5e/Dragon%20Scale%20Mail#content
4. Dancing Sword
With a command word, you can cause this magical sword to animate and strike out against your enemies on its own!
This is perfect for when your hands are full and there are just so many enemies to cleave through.
What Is Great About a Dancing Sword:
- It attacks as a bonus action, meaning that you can make the most out of your action economy.
- You can have your hands occupied with another weapon, spell components, or a sack of treasure and have it fight in your stead!
Dancing Sword full details: http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/wondrous-items:dancing-sword
3. Marvelous Pigments
If Scribblenauts is your favorite game, then you’ll take any quest to get your hands on these pigments!
You get 1d4 pots of paint with a brush, you can paint a limited amount of three-dimensional objects that become real when you finish the painting.
Sure, nothing you make can have a value greater than 25 gold pieces, but it can let you bring out the most of your creativity.
What Is Great About the Marvelous Pigments:
- You can paint anything you may need, this is the ultimate utility item because it can become anything you want.
Marvelous Pigments full details: http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/wondrous-items:nolzurs-marvelous-pigments
2. Manual of Gainful Exercise
Welcome to arcane calisthenics, for after reading this tome for 48 hours, your Strength score increases by 2, as does your maximum for that score.
This equals an Ability Score Increase, a boon you get only one every four levels (unless you are a fighter).
What Is Great About the Manual of Gainful Exercise:
- From your carrying capacity to attack and damage, Strength is a pivotal ability for many builds. By breaking past the limit you can rival even greater foes.
Manual of Gainful Exercise full details: http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/wondrous-items:manual-of-gainful-exercise
1. Manual of Quickness of Action
Last but not least, this book carries words charged with magic. Once you pore over it for at least 48 hours. your Dexterity score increases by 2, as does your maximum for that score.
Dexterity is, simply put, the most global ability there is. It determines your Armor Class, Initiative, Dexterity Saving throws (The most common save), and possibly your attack and damage too!
What Is Great About Manual of Quickness of Action:
- This is one of the only few ways to break past the 20 Dexterity ceiling.
- As mentioned before, Dexterity is probably the most used ability score in the whole game, by increasing it, you are also increasing the most used modifier.
Manual of Quickness of Action full details: http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/wondrous-items:manual-of-quickness-of-action
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